| Subject: The Hudson Democratic Platform and "the alternative?" |
Author:
Ned Depew
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Date Posted: 12:06:14 10/15/05 Sat
Friends -
Dick Tracy and the Democrats have now made a carefully thought-out, detailed statement of their view of Hudson's future, and their intended route to get us there. It is admirably clear and straightforward.
It's in the Register-Star and will be up on the web at: http://www.tracy2005.com/ over the weekend.
Of course, the Scaleranetti Team also has a platform statement (interestingly, it is a close copy - in some cases almost word-for-word - of the platform statment I published two years ago when I ran against Gail Grandinetti for supervisor).
The key to evaluating these conflicting statements (which in fact have many general aims, like affordable housing and econom9ic developement in common) is on the basis of the details. Does either candidate have an actual plan to achieve these goals? Read the two statements and make up your own mind.
Then - what about the canidiates' records for geting things done?
On the one hand, Dick Tracy has a record of years of dedicated public service - earning comendations from the City for his work under a number of different administrations. He ran a City Department, dealing with issues of budgeting, personnel, time management, program delivery, etc, and he did it well. He has, in the past, done what he was mandated to do and what he set out to do.
On the other hand, Dan Grandinetti is an unknown quanitity. He has worked in political jobs and for the Corrrections Department. He doesn't seem to have done badly in either role - but neither really shows that he is prepared to run a City the size of Hudson.
His platform claims that he has good intentions for Hudson. But he supported the Scalera Administration (and has accepted a very active role from Scalera and most of his cronies in his own campaign) which has a reputation for its "I can't do anything about it" attitude.
If Grandinetti really intended to do something useful about affordable housing, for instance, wouldn't he have been urging Scalera to address the problem already? Wouldn't he have been working with his close political ally (Dan acted as Rick's chauffeur, ferrying him from polling place to polling place in the last election) to achieve these goals already?
Are we to believe that the Scaleranetti supporters have had a sudden change of heart and now intend to do something about this issue (and the others about which they claim to care) to which they have never given anything in the past except lip service?
Then, there's the isue of integrity. Dan promised a Youth Department that would better serve Hudson's kids. He said that was his heartfelt goal, and something he intended to dedicate himself to - if the City would change the rules so that he could be appointed to head the Department without the previously required credentials and experience, and without a competitive job search, and at a salary more than 25% higher than the previous Department head.
But when the Mayor's race opened up - his dedication to Hudson's Youth suddenly evaporated. Now he wants to "serve" the people of Hudson as Mayor. But will his "service" show any more dedication than his pledge to serve Hudson's youth did?
These are serious questions, and I'd be happy to hear Dan's answers to them. Until I do, I have to take his "dedication" to the City of Hudson (as opposed to his own career and personal agenda) and his "plans" for the future with a great deal of skepticism.
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